Obama urges police chiefs to help pass tougher gun laws

Source: Washington Post

President Obama met Monday with law enforcement leaders, including officials from four communities where mass shootings took place recently, and urged them to help him build support in Congress to pass his proposals to toughen gun laws.

Obama asserted that law enforcement leaders are the most important group in the fraught and emotional gun debate — “They are where the rubber hits the road,” he said — and that a consensus among police chiefs and sheriffs could influence wavering lawmakers.

“Hopefully, if law enforcement officials who are dealing with this stuff every single day can come to some consensus in terms of steps that we need to take, Congress is going to be paying attention to them, and we’ll be able to make progress,” Obama said.

Vice President Biden, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano joined Obama and 13 police chiefs and sheriffs at the White House meeting.